mc.risingsun-第27节

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fore　you　give　me　a　ride　home？〃
　〃Sure。〃　I　rewound　the　tape。
　〃I　was　thinking　we　could　get　a　cup　of　coffee；　too；〃　Connor　said。　〃They　make　a　good　one　in　the　SID　labs。　At　least；　they　used　to。〃
　I　said；　〃You　want　me　to　get　coffee　while　you　look　at　the　tape？〃
　〃That　would　be　nice；　kōhai；〃　Connor　said。
　〃Sure。〃　I　started　the　tape　for　him；　and　turned　to　leave。
　〃Oh；　and　kōhai。　While　you're　down　there；　ask　the　night　duty　officer　what　facilities　the　department　has　for　videotapes。　Because　all　these　need　to　be　duplicated。　And　we　may　need　hard　copies　of　individual　frames。　Especially　if　there's　trouble　about　Sakamura's　arrest　as　Japan…bashing　by　the　department。　We　may　need　to　release　a　picture。　To　defend　ourselves。〃
　It　was　a　good　point。　〃Okay；〃　I　said。　〃I'll　check。〃
　〃And　I　take　mine　black　with　one　sugar。〃　He　turned　to　look　at　the　monitor。
　
　The　scientific　investigation　division；　or　SID；　was　in　the　basement　of　Parker　Center。　It　was　after　two　in　the　morning　when　I　got　there；　and　most　of　the　sections　were　closed　down。　SID　was　pretty　much　a　nine…to…five　operation。　Of　course；　the　teams　worked　at　night　collecting　evidence　from　crime　scenes；　but　the　evidence　was　then　stored　in　lockers；　either　downtown　or　at　one　of　the　divisions；　until　the　next　morning。
　I　went　to　the　coffee　machine；　in　the　little　cafeteria　next　to　Latent　Prints。　All　around　the　room　were　signs　reading　DID　YOU　WASH　YOUR　HANDS？　THIS　MEANS　YOU　and　DON'T　EXPOSE　FELLOW　OFFICERS　TO　RISK。　WASH　YOUR　HANDS。　The　reason　was　that　the　SID　teams　used　poisons；　especially　Criminalistics。　There　was　so　much　mercury；　arsenic；　and　chromium　floating　around　that　in　the　old　days；　officers　had　sometimes　gotten　sick　by　drinking　from　a　Styrofoam　cup　that　another　lab　worker　had　merely　touched。
　But　these　days　people　were　more　careful；　I　got　two　cups　of　coffee　and　went　back　to　the　night…duty　desk。　Jackie　Levine　was　on　duty；　with　her　feet　up　on　the　desk。　She　was　a　heavyset　woman　wearing　toreador　pants　and　an　orange　wig。　Despite　her　bizarre　appearance；　she　was　widely　acknowledged　to　be　the　best　print　lifter　in　the　department。　She　was　reading　Modern　Bride　magazine。　I　said；　〃You　going　to　do　it　again；　Jackie？〃
　〃Hell；　no；〃　she　said。　〃My　daughter。〃
　〃Who's　she　marrying？〃
　〃Let's　talk　about　something　happy；〃　she　said。　〃One　of　those　coffees　for　me？〃
　〃Sorry；〃　I　said。　〃But　I　have　a　question　for　you。　Who　handles　videotape　evidence　here？〃
　〃Videotape　evidence？〃
　〃Like　tape　from　surveillance　cameras。　Who　analyzes　it；　makes　hard　copies；　all　that？〃
　〃Well；　we　don't　get　much　call　for　that；〃　Jackie　said。　〃Electronics　used　to　do　it　here；　but　I　think　they　gave　it　up。　Nowadays；　video　either　goes　to　Valley　or　Medlar　Hall。〃　She　sat　forward；　thumbed　through　a　directory。　〃If　you　want；　you　can　talk　to　Bill　Harrelson　over　at　Medlar。　But　if　it's　anything　special；　I　think　we　farm　it　out　to　JPL　or　the　Advanced　Imaging　Lab　at　U。S。C。　You　want　the　contact　numbers；　or　you　want　to　go　through　Harrelson？〃
　Something　in　her　tone　told　me　what　to　do。　〃Maybe　I'll　take　the　contact　numbers。〃
　〃Yeah；　I　would。〃
　I　wrote　the　numbers　down　and　went　back　up　to　the　division。　Connor　had　finished　the　tape　and　was　running　it　back　and　forth　at　the　point　where　Sakamura's　face　appeared　in　the　mirror。
　〃Well？〃　I　said。
　〃That's　Eddie；　all　right。〃　He　appeared　calm；　almost　indifferent。　He　took　the　coffee　from　me　and　sipped　it。　〃Terrible。〃
　〃Yeah；　I　know。〃
　〃It　used　to　be　better。〃　Connor　set　the　cup　aside；　turned　off　the　video　recorder；　stood；　and　stretched。　〃Well；　I　think　we've　done　a　good　evening's　work。　What　do　you　say　we　get　some　sleep？　I　have　a　big　golf　game　in　the　morning　at　Sunset　Hills。〃
　〃Okay；〃　I　said。　I　packed　the　tapes　back　in　the　cardboard　box；　and　set　the　VCR　carefully　in　the　box；　too。
　Connor　said；　〃What're　you　going　to　do　with　those　tapes？〃
　〃I'll　put　'em　in　the　evidence　locker。〃
　Connor　said；　〃These　are　the　originals。　And　we　don't　have　duplicates。〃
　〃I　know；　but　I　can't　get　dupes　made　until　tomorrow。〃
　〃Exactly　my　point。　Why　don't　you　keep　them　with　you？〃
　〃Take　them　home？〃　There　were　all　sorts　of　departmental　injunctions　about　taking　evidence　home。　It　was　against　the　rules；　to　put　it　mildly。
　He　shrugged。　〃I　wouldn't　leave　this　to　chance。　Take　the　tapes　with　you；　and　then　you　can　arrange　the　duplication　yourself；　tomorrow。〃
　I　stuck　them　under　my　arm。　I　said；　〃You　don't　think　anybody　at　the　department　would…　〃
　〃Of　course　not；〃　Connor　said。　〃But　this　evidence　is　crucial　and　we　wouldn't　want　anybody　to　walk　by　the　evidence　locker　with　a　big　magnet　while　we　were　asleep；　would　we？〃
　So　in　the　end　I　took　the　tapes。　As　we　went　out　the　door；　we　passed　Ishiguro；　still　sitting　there；　contrite。　Connor　said　something　quickly　to　him　in　Japanese。　Ishiguro　jumped　to　his　feet；　bowed　quickly；　and　scurried　out　of　the　office。
　〃Is　he　really　so　scared？〃
　〃Yes；〃　Connor　said。
　Ishiguro　moved　quickly　down　the　hall　ahead　of　us；　head　bent　low。　He　seemed　almost　a　caricature　of　a　mousy；　frightened　man。
　〃Why？〃　I　said。　〃He's　lived　here　long　enough　to　know　that　any　case　we　might　have　against　him　for　withholding　evidence　is　not　strong。　And　we　have　even　less　of　a　case　against　Nakamoto。〃
　〃That's　not　the　point；〃　Connor　said。　〃He's　not　worried　about　legalities。　He's　worried　about　scandal。　Because　that's　what　would　happen　if　we　were　in　Japan。〃
　We　came　around　the　corner。　Ishiguro　was　standing　by　the　banks　of　elevators；　waiting。　We　waited；　too。　There　was　an　awkward　moment。　The　first　elevator　came；　and　Ishiguro　stepped　away　for　us　to　get　on。　The　doors　closed　on　him　bowing　to　us　in　the　lobby。　The　elevator　started　down。
　Connor　said；　〃In　Japan；　he　and　his　pany　could　be　finished　forever。〃
　〃Why？〃
　〃Because　in　Japan；　scandal　is　the　most　mon　way　of　revising　the　pecking　order。　Of　getting　rid　of　a　powerful　opponent。　It's　a　routine　procedure　over　there。　You　uncover　a　vulnerability；　and　you　leak　it　to　the　press；　or　to　government　investigators。　A　scandal　inevitably　follows；　and　the　person　or　organization　is　ruined。　That's　how　the　Recruit　scandal　brought　down　Takeshita　as　prime　minister。　Or　the　financial　scandals　brought　down　Prime　Minister　Tanaka　in　the　seventies。　It's　the　same　way　the　Japanese　screwed　General　Electric　a　couple　of　years　ago。〃
　〃They　screwed　General　Electric？〃
　〃In　the　Yokogawa　scandal。　You　heard　of　it？　No？　Well；　it's　classic　Japanese　maneuvering。　A　few　years　ago；　General　Electric　made　the　best　scanning　equipment　in　the　world　for　hospitals。　GE　formed　a　subsidiary；　Yokogawa　Medical；　to　market　this　equipment　in　Japan。　And　GE　did　business　the　Japanese　way：　cutting　costs　below　petitors　to　get　market　share；　providing　excellent　service　and　support；　entertaining　customers　…　giving　potential　buyers　air　tickets　and　traveler's　checks。　We'd　call　it　bribes；　but　it's　standard　business　procedure　in　Japan。　Yokogawa　quickly　became　the　market　leader；　ahead　of　Japanese　panies　like　Toshiba。　The　Japanese　panies　didn't　like　that　and　plained　about　unfairness。　And　one　day　government　agents　raided　Yokogawa's　offices　and　found　evidence　of　the　bribes。　They　arrested　several　Yokogawa　employees；　and　blackened　the　pany　name　in　scandal。　It　didn't　hurt　GE　sales　in　Japan　very　much。　It　didn't　matter　that　other　Japanese　panies　also　offer　bribes。　For　some　reason；　it　was　the　non…Japanese　pany　that　got　caught。　Amazing；　how　that　happens。〃
　I　said；　〃Is　it　really　that　bad？〃
　〃The　Japanese　can　be　tough；〃　Connor　said。　〃They　say　'business　is　war；'　and　they　mean　it。　You　know　how　Japan　is　always　telling　us　that　their　markets　are　open。　Well；　in　the　old　days；　if　a　Japanese　bought　an　American　car；　he　got　audited　by　the　government。　So　pretty　soon；　nobody　bought　an　American　car。　The　officials　shrug：　what　can　they　do？　Their　market　is　open：　they　can't　help　it　if　nobody　wants　an　American　car。　The　obstructions　are　endless。　Every　imported　car　has　to　be　individually　tested　on　the　dock　to　make　sure　it　plies　with　exhaust…emission　laws。　Foreign　drugs　can　only　be　tested　in　Japanese　laboratories　on　Japanese　nationals。　Foreign　skis　were　once　banned　because　Japanese　snow　was　said　to　be　wetter　than　European　and　American　snow。　That's　the　way　they　treat　other　countries；　so　it's　not　surprising　they　worry　about　getting　a　taste　of　their　own　medicine。〃
　〃Then　Ishiguro　is　waiting　for　some　scandal？　Because　that's　what　would　happen　in　Japan？〃
　〃Yes。　He's　afraid　that　Nakamoto　will　be　finished　in　a　single　stroke。　But　I　doubt　that　it　will。　Chances　are；　it'll　be　business　as　usual　in　Los　Angeles　tomorrow。〃
　
　I　drove　Connor　back　to　his　apartment。　As　he　climbed　out　of　the　car　I　said；　〃Well；　it's　been　interesting；　Captain。　Thanks　for　spending　the　time　with　me。〃
　〃You're　wele；〃　Connor　said。　〃Call　me　any　time；　if　you　need　help　in　the　future。〃
　〃I　hope　your　golf　game　isn't　too　early　tomorrow。〃
　〃Actually；　it's　at　seven；　but　at　my　age　I　don't　need　much　sleep。　I'll　be　playing　at　the　Sunset　Hills。〃
　〃Isn't　it　a　Japanese　course？〃　The　purchase　of　the　Sunset　Hills　Country　Club　was　one　of　the　more　recent　outrages　in　L。A。　The　West　Los　Angeles　golf　course　was　bought　for　a　huge　cash　price：　two　hundred　million　dollars　in　1990。　At　the　time；　the　new　Japanese　owners　said　no　changes　would　be　made。　But　now；　the　American　membership　was　slowly　being　reduced　by　a　simple